Studio 619 for April 12, 2009

A federal court hearing will be scheduled soon in the case of Nina Yoder, a University of Louisville nursing student who was expelled over posts on her MySpace page. Yoder is suing the university, claiming the action violated her First Amendment rights

WFPL’s Gabe Bullard has more on the case and arguments over free speech on public university campuses.

The dip in the economy has restaurant owners and chefs scrambling for new ways to bring in customers. As WFPL’s Stephanie Sanders reports, those tweaks range from attempts to make dining more comfortable to the ingredients on your plate.

Officials from the Kentucky Division of Forestry are assessing the damage caused by the wind and ice storms of the last few months. Crews are looking at trees and deciding

if they need to be trimmed or cut down, and if anyone needs to be reimbursed for the damage. To find out more about the assessment, WFPL’s Gabe Bullard talked with Division of Forestry spokesperson Lynn Brammer.

Citizen scientists are recording wildlife and plant observations right in their backyards. And they’re helping actual scientists gather more data than they possibly could working alone. Their efforts will help scientists learn how the natural world is responding to climate change. WFPL’s Kristin Espeland has the story on phenologists from the very young to the very, very old.

Don Gonyea has been the White House correspondent for National Public Radio since 2001 and is also a substitute host for various NPR programs, including Morning Edition. The Michigan native joined the network in 1986. He’s just back from Europe, where he covered President Obama’s first overseas visit since taking office. Gonyea’s first stop upon returning to the U.S. last week was Louisville, and he stopped by our studios for a chat.

Last-minute tax-filers won’t be able to swoop into the post office just before midnight to get an April 15th postmark on their envelope. For the first time in decades, post offices will operate only on regular hours on Tax Day.

Stephanie Sanders spoke with David Walton in the Louisville office about the change.

It has been been nearly 32 years since Elvis Presley died at his Memphis home, Graceland. The mansion, which is 70 years old this year, has of course been turned into a museum, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans annually. This year Graceland is bringing out some rarely seen artifacts from the King’s life.